No other company does refinement like Spyderco. They obsessively work on existing designs, pushing them in new directions with series of small changes and tweaks: a new curve to the handle here, an experimental new steel there. The Chaparral series has particularly benefited from this approach over the years; one of the core ideas of the line was to offer a platform to experiment with handle materials. We’ve seen Chaps in carbon fiber, elaborately patterned titanium, even unusual Raffir Noble acrylic; the Chaparral FRN has been a long time coming, and by all accounts was worth the wait.

The switch to FRN appears basic, but it offers major benefits. First, there’s the weight savings: the FRN Chap weighs about half an ounce less than the carbon fiber model. A new scale texturing makes its debut on this model and is highly effective, providing traction without damaging your pocket or roughing up your fingers. Finally, and most importantly, the switch to simple but effective plastic results in a major price drop: the Chaparral FRN hits an incredibly desirable sub-$100 price point, reaching almost Delica/Endura levels of value.

And keep in mind, the handle material is different but the steel is not. The heart and soul of the Chaparral is its surgically precise, thinly ground leaf blade, made from CTS-XHP steel. XHP is tough, stain-resistant, and holds an edge for a long time. It’s a perfect super steel for a blade this focused on high octane slicing performance. Even if you don’t have a knife nerd’s attention to these things, you’re bound to notice the sheer panache with which the Chaparral FRN zips through media. Spyderco delivered a truly premium blade at a value-oriented price point.

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